Wind turbines are structures that capture the wind's kinetic energy and convert it into electricity. The basic method by which turbines produce electricity is quite simple, and inspectors may want to familiarize themselves with these increasingly popular constructions. Turbine blades are shaped
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04/26/2010
Dust is a general name for solid, airborne particles. While most types of dust are relatively harmless, they can sometimes cause sickness or even fuel a fire. Large dust particles are typically swallowed or coughed up before they reach the lungs, but they can irritate the nose and the tubes that
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04/26/2010
Radiant heating systems directly heat the floor or panels in the wall or ceiling of a house, rather than heating the air, as do forced-air heating systems. The technique can be likened to standing in full sun on a chilly day, or feeling the warmth of a distant bonfire even though the air is cold.
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04/26/2010
Many electricians, history buffs and schoolchildren know that Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the lightbulb. In fact, his role in this instance was improving upon a concept that was already 50 years old. What Edison did that left his mark on the invention was to develop a safe, practic
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04/19/2010
Germs from other swimmers and unsafe water supplies can easily contaminate pool water, especially if it isn't properly disinfected. Contaminated recreational water can cause a variety of ailments and diseases, such as diarrhea, and skin, ear and upper respiratory infections, particularly if the s
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04/18/2010
While drowning is a well-publicized danger associated with swimming pools, comparatively little has been reported about injuries and deaths caused by pool drains. Water rushing out of the drain creates a suction that can ensnare swimmers, usually small children, causing debilitating injuries and
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04/18/2010
A pool alarm is a safety feature designed to alert adults when unsupervised children enter a pool. There are a number of different designs available, but none is foolproof. Inspectors should become acquainted with these innovations, and inform their clients of the main types available, and the
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04/18/2010
The Home Inspection Defined A general home inspection is a visual inspection for system and major accessible component defects and safety issues. The inspection is not technically exhaustive. A "general home inspection" and a "home inspection" are the same thing. A home inspection is designed
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04/13/2010
As reported in The Economist, Science, and other publications, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a special kind of dye that can transform ordinary glass into a photovoltaic solar panel. Although this technology, known as organic solar concentrators (
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04/12/2010
How Steel Corrodes Reinforcing steel bar (rebar) exposed to air oxidizes or rusts through the conversion of the iron in the steel to iron oxide or iron carbonate due to the CO2 in the atmosphere. The oxide formed is a loose material that has a greater volume than the original iron -- about 17 tim
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04/08/2010